Survival of Trade across Lake Victoria during the First World War: A Historical Perspective

Nashon Budi

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Abstract

The First World War (1914–1918) had far-reaching consequences on global and regional
commercial networks. Lake Victoria, a transport and economic hub in East Africa became an
area of interest between the Germs in Tanganyika and the British in East Africa (British East
African protectorate and Uganda) where each power sought to disrupt the general supply and the
commercial progresses of one another during the First World War. This study investigates the
survival of trade across the lake amidst the hostilities and fear in the region caused by the War.
Employing Economic Resilience, Informal Economy and Regional Integration Theories, this
study illustrates the persistence of trade across the lake during the war period. The study holds
that strategic interests of colonial powers and pre-existing trade relations sustained commerce
across the lake during the war period. Local traders adjusted to wartime conditions by employing
informal techniques including smuggling and barter systems. In the same vein British and
German colonial officials reluctantly compromised some level of trade for sustainability of their
respective economic interests.

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